One of my former college recruits – who has since become a good friend - was talking the other day about the benefits and challenges of creating an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) at the company where he’s the COO. Lots of business people talk about the need to improve employee engagement - mostly by gimmicks and less than effective policies, programs, and practices - but this guy understands the dedication, commitment and hard work needed to get employees involved to the point that they truly take their work seriously: in this instance meticulous planning, total transparency, real patience, and unbelievable stick-to-itiveness were needed to achieve the plan’s goals. Professionals often spend too much time worrying about the short-term impact of their decisions and lose the will to wait for the long-term effects of good planning and strategy. In my friend’s company, their selfless commitment became a powerful method of influence and his employees are now experiencing the high engagement, low turnover, great teamwork, feeling-of-ownership environment created by this ‘stay-the-course’ thinking. Believe in your good ideas with all your heart and soul and let that inspire others to believe in them today.
Stephen R. Covey (1932 – 2012): American educator, businessman, and author of the popular book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
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